Collection PL

Italy 1871–1872 — Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire Specimen (Pick S976s)

An exceptional and academically important survival from the experimental phase of Italy’s early post-unification banking era, this 250 Lire specimen from the short-lived Banca Italo-Germanica, cataloged as Pick S976s, represents one of the rarest and most ambitious private note-issuing projects attempted in Rome during the 1870s. No issued examples of this type are known to exist, and all scholarship indicates that the bank’s banknote program collapsed before any notes entered circulation, leaving only a microscopic number of presentation pulls, proofs, or internal printer’s archive sheets. This PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated example is the sole graded specimen in the PMG census, making it both Top Pop and Only Pop. ... Read more →

Libya 1971 — Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars Color Trial Specimen (Omar al-Mukhtar Portrait, Pick 37cts)

This color trial specimen represents a pre-issue production stage of the Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars note introduced in 1971, prepared during the immediate post-monarchy redesign of the national currency. Following the establishment of the Libyan Arab Republic, royal imagery was formally removed and replaced with revolutionary-era symbolism, most prominently the portrait of Omar al-Mukhtar, positioned as a unifying national figure and ideological anchor of the new regime. Color trial specimens occupy a critical position within the banknote production sequence. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1982 — 1000 Francs Color Trial Specimen Grand Duchess Charlotte (Pick 52bcts)

Color trial specimen of the 1982 one thousand francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, representing the experimental color phase of the highest denomination prepared within this contingency series. As the top denomination, the 1000 Francs carries the full complexity of the design system, and in color trial form, it exposes the decision layer behind the final adopted palette. This example carries serial number A000000 13 in standard specimen format, with duplicated placement at left and right. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1967 — 100 Dollars (Pick 168as, Fleming Signature, TDLR Overprint Specimen, Serial G000000009, Specimen No. 9, PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated)

The 1967 one hundred dollars specimen represents the inaugural issue of New Zealand’s decimal currency system at its highest denomination, issued during the ND (1967–1968) period under the signature of Roderick Ninian Fleming as Chief Cashier. Fleming’s tenure was limited to the opening phase of decimalization, making his signature exclusive to the earliest production window of the new monetary system. Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Company, London, this specimen was prepared for formal distribution to central banks and institutional archives. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1975 — 100 Dollars (Pick 168bs, R.L. Knight Signature, TDLR Overprint Specimen, Serial G000000004, Specimen No. 004, PMG 62 Uncirculated)

The 1975 one hundred dollars specimen represents the highest denomination of New Zealand’s decimal currency series during the tenure of R.L. Knight as Chief Cashier, issued within the ND (1975–1977) period. Knight’s signature defines the third phase of the decimal era, following the Fleming and Wilks periods, and reflects a stage in which the system had transitioned from initial introduction into a fully established national currency structure. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1981 — 100 Dollars (Pick 175as, H.R. Hardie Signature, Replacement Star Serial YA000000*, Printer Annotation Specimen, PMG 55 About Uncirculated)

The 1981 one hundred dollars printer annotation specimen represents an exceptional archival-stage artifact from New Zealand’s decimal currency series, issued within the ND (1981–1985) period under the signature of H.R. Hardie as Chief Cashier. This note belongs to the later Hardie design phase, distinguished by the revised portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, reflecting the mature design update that followed the earlier 1977–1981 issues. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1981 — 100 Dollars (Pick 175as, H.R. Hardie Signature, Serial YAA000000, Printer Annotation Specimen with Single Punch Hole, PMG 40 Extremely Fine)

The 1981 one hundred dollars printer annotation specimen represents a working-stage production artifact from New Zealand’s decimal currency series, issued within the ND (1981–1985) period under the signature of H.R. Hardie as Chief Cashier. This note belongs to the later Hardie design phase, identified by the revised portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, reflecting the mature visual update of the series. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1985 — 100 Dollars (Pick 175bs, S.T. Russell Signature, Black Overprint SPECIMEN, Dual Oval Stamps, Specimen No. 004, Serial YAC000000, PMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated)

The 1985 one hundred dollars specimen represents one of the most complex and information-rich specimen formats produced during the final paper-currency era of New Zealand, issued within the ND (1985–1989) period under the signature of S.T. Russell as Chief Cashier. This series marks the closing stage of the traditional engraved paper hundreds before the transition to polymer. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1992 — 100 Dollars (Pick 181s, Rutherford Design, Vertical Red SPECIMEN Overprint, Printer-Annotated TDLR Specimen, PMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated)

The 1992 one hundred dollars specimen marks the introduction of the Rutherford design and the beginning of New Zealand’s final paper currency series before the transition to polymer. Issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and printed by Thomas De La Rue & Company, London, this note replaces the long-standing Queen Elizabeth II portrait with Lord Ernest Rutherford of Nelson, symbolizing a decisive shift toward national scientific identity within the country’s banknote iconography. This example represents a complex internal printer specimen, combining multiple control and approval features rarely encountered together on a single note. ... Read more →

Barbados 1980 — Government of Barbados 5,000 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Red Overprint, Punch Hole Cancelled, Prefix C

This Treasury Bill specimen was issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922 and represents a non-circulating fiscal instrument prepared for internal reference, accounting control, and archival purposes. The note is denominated at five thousand dollars and forms part of the upper range of Barbados Treasury Bill denominations, distinct from the extreme high-value issues produced for exceptional treasury requirements. The note is printed in the official multicolour security design, featuring an ornate guilloche frame and a dense repeating “Government of Barbados” background pattern across the entire face. ... Read more →

Barbados 1980 — Government of Barbados 10,000 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Red Overprint, Punch Hole Cancelled, Prefix D

This Treasury Bill specimen was issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922 and represents a high-value, non-circulating fiscal instrument prepared for internal reference, audit control, and archival retention. The denomination of ten thousand dollars places this note within the upper tier of Barbados Treasury Bills, intended for substantial treasury operations rather than routine fiscal use. The note is printed in a multicolour engraved security design with an ornate guilloche frame and a dense repeating “Government of Barbados” underprint covering the entire face. ... Read more →

Spain 1875 — Banco de España 50 Pesetas Contemporary Counterfeit (Pick 7x)

This note represents a contemporary counterfeit of the Banco de España fifty pesetas issue of 1875, produced during the active circulation period of the official banknote and intended to pass as legal tender in everyday commerce. Classified in standard references as Pick 7x, it is a period forgery rather than a later reproduction or fantasy piece, created using materials and printing methods consistent with nineteenth-century Spanish monetary circulation. Contemporary counterfeits occupy a distinct and historically important category within paper money studies. ... Read more →